NEWSLETTER
From Poland with Love. December
Topic of the Month
CJEU Rules Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal Broke EU Law
In December 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered a landmark ruling: Poland violated EU law by allowing its Constitutional Tribunal (TK) to reject the primacy of EU law and operate without sufficient independence.
The case stems from two controversial Tribunal rulings issued in 2021, when the then-ruling PiS party pushed through a series of judicial reforms. In those rulings, the TK declared parts of EU law, including interim measures from the CJEU, incompatible with Poland’s constitution, effectively telling Polish courts not to apply them. The Luxembourg judges said that member states cannot ignore binding EU law or CJEU judgments, and that doing so undermines the legal framework that holds the union together.
Beyond the substance of the rulings, the CJEU found that irregular appointments of several TK judges made during the PiS era meant the body “did not qualify as an >>independent and impartial tribunal established by law<< under EU standards.” The CJEU found that the appointment of three judges to the Polish Constitutional Tribunal in December 2015 and its President in December 2016 violated fundamental rules governing nomination procedures in Poland. Therefore, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal does not meet the requirements of the rule of law.
The judgment has sparked mixed reactions in Poland. Some national politicians and figures in the PiS leadership condemned the EU court’s decision as an overreach into Polish sovereignty. Meanwhile, current government official argue the ruling confirms widespread concerns about the Tribunal’s lack of independence after years of politicised appointments.
On December 5th, its most controversial TK judge, Krystyna Pawłowicz, retired on her own initiative (health reasons). Pawłowicz joined the TK directly from the PiS parliamentary benches, where she was known as one of Jarosław Kaczyński's most radical "soldiers." With Pawłowicz leaving the Tribunal, the body's composition shrank to 10, and the number of vacant judgeships increased to five. Consequently, the Tribunal lost the ability to form a full bench, as under the Act on the Organization and Procedure of the Constitutional Tribunal, the participation of at least 11 judges is required for a case to be heard by a full bench.
The subsequent terms of office of the judges appointed by PiS end next year and in September 2026 the judges appointed by the current majority would have a majority. “I believe there's no point in waiting, and judges should be elected to the Constitutional Tribunal. Of course, this is the Sejm's duty," commented Bartłomiej Przymusiński, president of the Association of Polish Judges "Iustitia."
The government, however, has so far refrained from appointing new judges to the TK, arguing that the body’s legitimacy had been undermined by previous politicised appointments. This position effectively froze the replacement of judges whose terms had expired, leaving vacancies unfilled. The government has now signalled a change of approach, announcing that it will begin the formal process of selecting and appointing new judges. Officials say the move is intended to stabilise the functioning of the Tribunal while longer-term reforms to restore its independence are prepared. Media reports indicate that the coalition already has candidates willing to serve as Constitutional Tribunal judges.
Security
AI-Generated Videos Push “Polexit”
A wave of AI-generated videos promoting the idea of Poland leaving the European Union — “Polexit” — has grabbed attention on social media and raised alarms in Warsaw and Brussels. The clips, which circulated primarily on TikTok, showed young, attractive women dressed in patriotic colours and speaking directly to Polish youth about why Poland should quit the EU. But there’s a twist: none of these women actually exist, they were created entirely by AI.
Analysts say the videos were designed to appeal to users aged roughly 15–25, using polished visuals and familiar patriotic imagery to make the anti-EU messages feel relatable and persuasive. In just a couple of weeks, the content racked up hundreds of thousands of views and tens of thousands of likes before the account was removed from TikTok.
The Polish government has described the campaign as a potential disinformation operation, possibly linked to foreign influence, and has asked the European Commission to investigate whether TikTok failed to enforce its content rules under Europe’s Digital Services Act. Officials say the videos could threaten information security, public order and democratic debate by spreading misleading political narratives. The EC has opened a preliminary probe to assess whether the platform’s systems adequately detect and remove AI-generated political content.
Nearly 1/4 of Poles believe the country should begin the process of leaving the EU, according to a new survey.
Poland Doubles Forced Deportations
In 2025, Poland saw a sharp rise in the number of migrants forcibly removed from the country, almost twice as many as the year before. Polish authorities compelled over 2,100 foreigners to leave, up from about 1,100 in 2024, marking the largest annual jump in years.
Overall, more than 9,300 people were ordered to depart Poland in 2025, including those who left voluntarily after receiving removal orders. The spike follows a broader shift in government policy toward stricter immigration controls. The current government has tightened rules on visas, increased border controls, and restricted asylum applications.
Among those deported, the largest groups were Ukrainian nationals (ca. 1,150) and Georgians (c. 350), a group officials have associated with concerns about organised crime (read more in February issue of the Newsletter).
Under Polish law, authorities can order the removal of foreigners who lack legal status, break immigration rules, or are judged to pose a security or public-safety threat. In most cases, individuals are first given a deadline to leave voluntarily; if they don’t, they face enforced departure and travel bans lasting months or years.
International Affairs
Poland-Russia Dispute Escalates After Consulate Closures
A growing diplomatic row between Poland and Russia has taken a dramatic turn as both countries withdraw their consular presence from each other’s territory, deepening tensions rooted in security concerns and mutual retaliation.
At the centre of the dispute is the closure of Russia’s last consulate in Poland, located in Gdańsk. In late 2025, the Polish government ordered the consulate to shut down by 23 December, in response to what Warsaw says were acts of sabotage on Polish infrastructure linked to Russian intelligence (read more in November issue of the Newsletter). Moscow has rejected those accusations and condemned the closure as “hostile” and unjustified.
Polish officials have faced an unusual situation: although the consulate was ordered closed, Russian diplomats initially refused to leave and their technical employee remains in the building, claiming it belongs to Moscow even after diplomatic status ends. Polish authorities say the property is state-owned and are preparing legal action to take possession.
In retaliation, Russia has announced the closure of Poland’s consulate in Irkutsk, Siberia, effective 30 December 2025. As a result of these moves and previous closures, neither country now operates consulates in the other, leaving only their embassies in capital cities.
European Affairs
CJEU Orders Poland to Recognise Same-Sex Marriages from Other EU Countries
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered a landmark ruling requiring all EU member states to recognise same-sex marriages legally conducted in another EU country when those marriages affect fundamental EU rights.
The case began with two Polish citizens who married in Germany in 2018 and later moved back to Poland. Although their marriage was fully valid under German law, Polish authorities refused to transcribe their German marriage certificate into Poland’s civil register, arguing that Polish law defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
The EU court’s ruling found that this refusal violates core EU principles, especially the freedom of movement and the right to respect for private and family life, guaranteed to all EU citizens. Poland must therefore recognise such marriages for the purposes of EU law and apply the same procedures for foreign same-sex marriages as it does for opposite-sex ones.
Importantly, the CJEU’s judgment makes two key points:
- It does not force Poland to legalise same-sex marriage in its own domestic law. Member states still decide their own marriage laws.
- But if a country chooses a specific administrative procedure — like transcription of foreign marriage certificates — it cannot refuse that procedure to same-sex couples on the basis of sexual orientation.
Polish courts have already referred similar questions to the EU court, and the decision now sets a binding precedent for how foreign marriages must be handled in Poland under EU law.
The ruling has prompted sharply contrasting reactions across Poland’s political spectrum. Katarzyna Kotula, former Equality Minister, said Poland must comply with the judgment, writing that the country “must implement and respect the CJEU ruling recognising same-sex marriages concluded abroad,” adding that “no right-wing crying will change that.” By contrast, a spokesperson for President Karol Nawrocki’s office described it as “an attempt to circumvent the Polish Constitution” and warning against what they called “social engineering” driven by EU courts.
Economy
Poland Bids for 350 km/h High-Speed Trains
Poland has launched a major push into high-speed rail, marking a new phase in its transportation strategy with the first official tender for a railway line designed for speeds of up to 350 km/h. The competitive procurement procedure covers a 13-kilometre section of the planned high-speed line between Kotowice and the future central transport hub, with bids due by March 2026. This is one of the first steps toward building Europe’s fastest passenger rail network.
The planned high-speed railway is part of a much larger infrastructure megaproject originally known as Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) — a combined airport and rail network designed to link Warsaw, Łódź, Poznań and Wrocław with extremely fast service. In mid-December 2025, the Polish government rebranded this initiative as “Port Polska”, distancing it from past controversies tied to the CPK name while reaffirming the country’s ambition to build a major international transport hub.
In parallel with infrastructure work, Poland’s state rail company PKP Intercity has launched its own tender for high-speed trains capable of reaching up to 320 km/h. Interest from at least nine manufacturers has been reported, reflecting growing momentum for rail modernization.
Dino Among Bloomberg’s Top 50 Companies to Watch
Dino Polska, one of Poland’s fastest-growing supermarket chains, was named by Bloomberg as one of its Top 50 Companies to Watch in 2026, highlighting the firm’s strong market position and investor appeal on the global stage.
The recognition comes as the Polish retail group continues rapid expansion: it recently opened its 3,000th store nationwide, reinforcing its status as a major player in the country’s grocery sector.
The owner of Dino Polska, Mariusz Świtalski, is often described as one of Poland’s most mysterious businessmen due to his low public profile and rare media appearances. Despite building one of the country’s fastest-growing retail chains, he keeps his personal life and business dealings largely private. His discretion has only fueled curiosity about the strategies behind Dino’s rapid expansion and market success.
At the same time, Dino is facing mounting labour tensions. Trade unionists have formally initiated a collective labour dispute with the company, accusing management of ignoring staff concerns and failing to engage meaningfully in dialogue. Employees are demanding better wages, improved working conditions, and the establishment of a statutory social benefits fund for workers that unions say should already exist at a company of Dino’s size.
Poland & Germany
Germans Are Flocking to Poland to Buy Fireworks
Every New Year’s Eve, Poland lights up the sky with dazzling fireworks. In 2025–26, that spectacle got a surprising twist: thousands of Germans crossed the border to buy fireworks in Poland. And it wasn’t just for the show.
The reason? Germany has been tightening restrictions on consumer fireworks, and many cities and states now bar or limit private use for safety and environmental reasons. That has left some Germans eager to stock up elsewhere, and Poland has become their go-to destination. Polish media reported long lines at fireworks stands, especially in towns near the German border. Drivers from cities like Berlin and Dresden brought shopping carts and backpacks full of Polish fireworks.
A 2023 survey showed that nearly half of all Germans support stricter bans on fireworks, especially due to concerns over injuries, noise and environmental pollution — particularly around major holidays like New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, Poland remains a fireworks powerhouse — both in production and in celebration. Polish law still allows broad private purchase and use over the holiday season, and many shops sell a wide variety of pyrotechnics that attract buyers from across Europe.
Cutting-edge Satellite Programme
In late 2025, a major advance in European space and defence cooperation emerged through a series of agreements linking Germany’s Rheinmetall, Finnish and Polish satellite specialist ICEYE, and Poland’s deep-tech firm SATIM Monitoring Satelitarny in a cutting-edge satellite reconnaissance programme.
At the centre of the effort is the SPOCK-1 programme — a new synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite network for the German Armed Forces worth roughly €1.7 billion. This constellation will provide space-based surveillance and intelligence by imaging the Earth in radar, day or night and through all weather conditions.
Poland’s contribution comes via SATIM, a Warsaw-based AI and radar imagery analytics company. SATIM signed a technology supply agreement with Rheinmetall to provide advanced, AI-powered processing of SAR data gathered by the satellites, turning huge volumes of radar information into actionable intelligence. This reflects both Poland’s growing role in advanced defence tech and closer European cooperation on space-based reconnaissance.
The work builds on a broader industrial partnership: Rheinmetall and ICEYE have formed a joint venture — Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions — to produce next-generation SAR satellites, with manufacturing set to begin in Germany in 2026. These moves aim to give Europe its own sovereign capabilities in space-based intelligence, reducing dependence on U.S. systems and strengthening NATO’s eastern flank.
SAR satellites offer unique value for military and security users: their radar sensors don’t rely on daylight or clear skies, and can quickly deliver insights on troop movements, infrastructure changes, and other ground activity. A growing constellation also means more frequent revisits over key areas, an invaluable asset in contemporary defence and geopolitical competition. For Poland, engagement in this high-tech space ecosystem marks an important step in modernising its defence and tech industry and deepening cooperation with European partners on next-generation security solutions.
Society
Cardinal Ryś Appointed Archbishop of Kraków
Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś has been named the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Kraków, marking a significant leadership transition for the Catholic Church in Poland. The appointment was announced by Pope Leo XIV, who accepted the resignation of Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski upon reaching retirement age. The latter was one of the most prominent conservative voices in the hierarchy. He was controversial for his strong opposition to LGBT+ rights as well as for his close alignment with Poland’s right-wing politics and resistance to reforms promoted under Pope Francis.
The Archdiocese of Kraków is one of the most historically important sees in Poland and was once led by Karol Wojtyła, later Pope St John Paul II. The appointment of Ryś, previously Archbishop of Łódź, signals a new chapter for the archdiocese at a time of wider change within the global Church.
Born in Kraków in 1964, Ryś was ordained a priest in 1988 and served as auxiliary bishop of Kraków from 2011 before becoming archbishop of Łódź in 2017. He was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023. Known for his pastoral style and theological depth, Ryś is closely associated with the synodal vision promoted under Francis, emphasising dialogue, listening, and shared responsibility within the Church. In Łódź he established a commission to investigate pedophilia, a very unique move in the Polish Church.
At his installation Mass in Wawel Cathedral, Ryś stressed the importance of an open and listening Church, telling the faithful that without them he “doesn’t make sense”. He also signaled a willingness to address difficult issues facing the Church in Poland, including transparency and accountability.
Observers see his appointment as a symbolic shift for Polish Catholicism, balancing deep tradition with a renewed focus on pastoral engagement and reform. As archbishop of a diocese with immense spiritual and historical significance, Cardinal Ryś is expected to play a key role in shaping the future direction of the Church in Poland.
Culture
Michał Urbaniak, Polish Jazz Pioneer, Dies at 82
Michał Urbaniak, one of the most influential figures in Polish and international jazz, has died at the age of 82. His death was announced on 20 December 2025 by his wife, Dorota “Dosia” Urbaniak, who wrote: “He lived and expressed himself through music.”
Born in Warsaw in 1943 and raised in Łódź, Urbaniak was trained as a classical violinist before teaching himself the saxophone and turning to jazz. As a teenager he was already active on the Polish jazz scene, and in 1962 he made his first trip to the United States, beginning a lifelong international career.
Over more than six decades, Urbaniak became renowned as a violinist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger, and as a leading pioneer of jazz fusion. His music blended jazz with rock, funk, R&B, hip-hop, and electronic elements, reflecting his constant drive to experiment and push boundaries. In 1971, he won the Grand Prix for Best Soloist at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Two years later, he settled permanently in New York, where he immersed himself in the American jazz scene and later became a U.S. citizen.
Urbaniak collaborated with an extraordinary range of artists, including Chick Corea, Elvin Jones, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Billy Cobham, and Miles Davis, appearing on Davis’s 1986 album Tutu. He performed at major venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Beacon Theatre, and became closely associated with a custom five-string electric violin designed to suit his distinctive sound.
Alongside his performing career, Urbaniak composed music for film and theatre and led numerous projects, including Urbanator, Fusion, and UrbSymphony. His influence on Polish jazz was profound, helping to connect the country’s musicians with the wider international scene. In 1992, DownBeat magazine ranked him first in five categories — a rare achievement.
Tributes have poured in from across the jazz world, including from singer Urszula Dudziak, his former wife and longtime collaborator. Urbaniak will be laid to rest with state honours at Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw.
Poland’s Biggest Spelling Update in Decades
The reform, prepared by Poland’s Language Council, does not change the alphabet or pronunciation. Instead, it modernizes rules that had become inconsistent, outdated, or confusing. It is described less as “rewriting Polish” and more as “tidying it up.”
The biggest updates focus on:
- Hyphens and compound words (when to write together, separately, or with a dash)
- Capitalization rules, especially for names, institutions, and holidays
- Spelling of borrowed words, many of them from English and technology
- Some grammatical spellings that had too many exceptions to memorize
In many cases, the reform simply confirms what people were already writing in everyday life, finally making it official.
Polish spelling rules were largely shaped in the mid-20th century, long before emails, social media, or global English influence. Teachers, editors, and students had been calling for simplification for years. The new rules aim to reduce “school-only spelling” — forms that existed mainly in exams, not real communication.
Old spellings remain understandable, and the transition will be gradual, especially in schools and publishing. But over time, the new standards will become the norm.
Polls & Trends
Party Support
Pollster for Super Express, 31.12.2025-1.01.2026
Civic Coalition 34,2%
PiS 29,88%
Confederation 10,15%
Left 7,37%
Crown 7,22%
Together 4,58%
Poland 2050 3,31%
PSL 1,11%